Ban OK'd on e-cigs by supes at county buildings

A ban on the use of e-cigarettes in and near county buildings was adopted on Tuesday.

In a 4-1 vote, Supervisor Matt Rexroad dissenting, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution updating the current smoking policy in county buildings, near entrances or in county-owned vehicles. Wherever a policy exists, "electronic nicotine delivery devices" will also not be allowed, according to a staff report. The devices create a nicotine vapor that's inhaled although some have no nicotine.

"These amendments would prohibit the use of electronic cigarettes and similar devices that contain tobacco or nicotine in all areas where smoking is currently prohibited," said Constance Caldwell, county health officer. "This amendment is needed so that county employees are not able to smoke e-cigarettes indoors in the workplace."

The policy has been in the works for several months now, according to Steven Jensen, coordinator of the county's Tobacco Education Program.

He said people have come into county buildings smoking e-cigarettes because there hadn't been any regulations regarding them at a county level.

"There is concern regarding the health effects these products may have on the individuals who use them and those who inhale their secondhand vapor," Jensen said in the report. "These products are not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the chemical content is unregulated. Device use inside buildings and other areas where cigarette use is restricted is a potential threat to public health."

According to Caldwell, the liquid that the nicotine is dissolved in is not water, despite popular belief, but contains an assortment of unregulated organic chemicals that are believed to release carcinogenic fumes.

"We should try to make our workplaces as safe as possible rather than waiting for undisputed proof that these devices cause harm secondhand," she said.

Caldwell continued to state that allowing any sort of smoking in the workplace is "a huge step backwards" because allowing e-cigarettes moves towards normalizing smoking once again.

"These e-cigarettes may or may not be somewhat safer than standard cigarettes to the smoker or to the secondhand smoker but most contain nicotine, which is an extremely addictive substance," she said. "If we can allow these devices indoors, in county buildings, this essentially promotes nicotine addiction and contributes to the renormalization of smoking that we are already seeing in our community."

There is also concern about marketing toward teens even though state law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. A survey released in March found that the devices are widely available in Yolo County with more than 45 percent of stores selling them.

In November 2013, the Yolo County Tobacco Education Program gave a presentation on e-cigs to members of the Maternal Child Adolescent Health Advisory Board. The presentation included the findings of the most recent studies and panel discussions regarding potential health effects, according to the staff report.

In response, the advisory board sent a letter to supervisors requesting these devices be restricted from use in the same areas where smoking is restricted. The board requested that Tobacco Education program staff consult with County Counsel and develop draft language to amend the current policy.

With the adoption of the amended policy, Yolo County will join UC Davis and other UC schools banning e-cigarettes. The Davis City Council received a presentation in March regarding expanding its current ban on tobacco to include the vapor devices and could vote on restrictions in the future.